THE two children found dead with their mother in a Kenton flat had been suffocated, the police said.

The bodies of Anopan Vageswaran, 5, and Nathaban Vageswaran, seven months, were discovered at 5.20pm on Thursday alongside the body of their mother Jeyavani Vageswaran, 33, in a home in Woodgrange Close they shared with their father, Mrs Vageswaran's husband. All three were pronounced dead at the scene by medics.

Post-mortem examinations conducted on the youngsters' bodies Tuesday gave the cause of death as suffocation and a post-mortem examination conducted on the mother's body on Friday gave the cause of death as compression of the neck, by hanging.

Investigating officers are treating the two children's deaths as murder and not treating the woman's death as suspicious. Police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths.

She used to pass the family in the morning and walk along the road with the mother, who was taking her son to the school in Carlisle Gardens, Kenton.

She said: “She was friendly. I saw her when she was pregnant with the youngest and we would chat about it.

“When I was walking my kids to school she would be outside the house making her kids look smart. They just kept to themselves.

“On Hallowe’en we went round there and she came down with some sweets and they came trick or treating here.

“After that it was ‘hello’ and ‘see you later’ each day, then I hear that this has happened.

“I can’t walk on that side of the road any more. It feels like a haunted house.”

Tashma Brown, 34, is a support worker and lives next door with her nine-year-old daughter.

She said: “I am just a neighbour. I don’t know loads about the family but I would always see her and her children.

“I literally only saw her last week with the baby. She was always at home and she was really quiet.”

Leslie Gotts, 70, who has lived in the cul-de-sac for more than 18 years, and is a volunteer at Northwick Park Hospital in Watford Road, Harrow, said: “I never saw the children much, but what has happened is so sad.

“It is very difficult to comprehend.

“This street is friendly, everyone says hello. You always hear and see these things on television but never believe it happens on your own street.

“The feeling around here is terrible.”

Flowers, cards and soft toys have been left outside the house by neighbours and friends.

One of the cards said: “No matter what those concerns were drove you to this, they will touch you and the kids no more. May all your souls RIP.”

Another read: “May you all rest in peace. You all will be missed.”

A Brent Council spokesman said: “The family were known to the council but it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst the police investigation is at such an early stage.”